Certified translation › Family reunion
For the representative authority abroad and the settlement authority, a court-sworn, certified translator produces a certified translation of your marriage certificate, birth certificate and, where needed, a certificate of no impediment — with a certification statement and standard-compliant transfer of names. At a fixed price including shipping.
Court-sworn, certified translators · names to ISO 9 · NAG · German A1 before entry · set price for the reunion package · a reply on working days within 60 minutes
In short
Spouse and child reunion require certified translations of the central civil-status documents — above all the marriage certificate, the children's birth certificate and, depending on the case, a certificate of no impediment. For family reunion, a first application usually also involves proof of German at A1 level (German before entry).
You lodge the first application in person at the Austrian representative authority (embassy/consulate); the legal basis is the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG). The settlement authority decides on the grant — the Office of the Provincial Government (Amt der Landesregierung), in Vienna the MA 35. Exactly which documents are required is set by its checklist — we translate precisely that set.
Procedure & deadlines
Family reunion protects the right to private and family life (Art. 8 ECHR) and is governed by the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG). Family members of skilled and key workers as a rule receive the Red-White-Red Card plus; part of these titles is subject to a quota.
Those who can join are primarily spouses or registered partners (both of full age) and minor unmarried children. The person you join (for example a holder of a Red-White-Red Card or of a "Long-term resident – EU" title) determines the appropriate residence title.
For a first application, German at A1 is generally to be proven (German before entry). Certificates from ÖIF, ÖSD, the Goethe-Institut and telc are recognised. The certificate itself is not translated; exemptions apply, among others, for family members of the especially highly qualified.
Now the marriage, birth and, where applicable, the certificate of no impediment / divorce certificate are needed — certified-translated and, depending on the country of origin, with an apostille or legalisation.
The first application is lodged in person at the Austrian representative authority (embassy/consulate) abroad and forwarded to the settlement authority (Office of the Provincial Government, in Vienna the MA 35).
If the title is subject to a quota, the grant follows the annual Settlement Ordinance; when the quota is exhausted, the authority places applicants in a queue. Complete documents secure your place.
After a positive outcome the family member enters and collects the residence title in Austria; afterwards, Module 1 of the Integration Agreement (A2) is to be fulfilled. Correctly translated documents prevent requests for further papers.
Which documents?
This checklist is the core of the visa package. Each row links to the right guide — with details on apostille, transfer of names and validity periods. The principle: foreign-language documents are certified-translated, whereas German-language proofs such as the A1 certificate are not.
| Document (guide) | Its role in the procedure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage certificate | Proof of the marriage – basis of spouse reunion under the NAG | with apostille/legalisation, depending on the country |
| Birth certificate | Child reunion and proof of descent/relationship | match names to the passport spelling |
| Certificate of no impediment | Proof that no impediment to marriage exists (where the marriage has not yet taken place) | validity usually 6 months |
| Divorce certificate / decree | Evidence of dissolved prior marriages of both partners | foreign divorces may need recognition |
| Passport | Identity and the authoritative spelling of names | reference for the transliteration of the name |
| Registration slip / proof of accommodation | Proof of locally customary accommodation and residence of the joining sponsor | translate foreign-language proofs |
Every Austrian representative authority maintains its own information sheet with the required documents and the number of copies. Obtain it first — so we translate precisely to fit, in the right language direction and without superfluous documents.
Apostille & authentication
Many representative and settlement authorities require the apostille or legalisation of the foreign document in addition to the certified translation — it confirms the genuineness of a marriage, birth or divorce certificate.
Important: the FÜD does not issue apostilles. For foreign documents, the competent body in the country of issue issues it. For Austrian documents used abroad, the President of the Regional Court (Landesgericht) is responsible for judicial documents, and the Office of the Provincial Government (Amt der Landesregierung) for civil-status and other administrative documents; for states without the apostille, the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) legalises. We then translate the document and the apostille together, in certified form.
A missing apostille stops the visa — not the translation.
That is why we clarify in advance which body in the country of issue confirms genuineness, and align the translation with it.
Case studies
The family relationship and the country of origin determine the document set, the language proof and whether an apostille is needed.
Spouse reunion
Child reunion
Prior marriage
Specialist value
Visa applications rarely fail on the body text; they fail on a missing apostille, a diverging name or an expired certificate. The most common returns – and how a court-sworn, certified translator avoids them.
| Pitfall | Why it is critical | How the FÜD solves it |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille missing or wrong body | Without proof of genuineness the authority will not accept the document – the appointment falls through. | We check the apostille requirement of the country of issue in advance and translate the document and the apostille together. |
| Name in document ≠ passport | If the transliteration differs from the passport, the representative authority doubts the identity. | Transliteration to ISO, matched against the passport, deviations explained in the certification statement. |
| Certificate of no impediment expired | A certificate of no impediment is usually valid for only around six months. | We flag the validity period and translate close to the time of submission. |
| A1 proof from a non-recognised body | Only certificates from recognised providers (ÖIF, ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, telc) are accepted. | We point out the recognised examination bodies; the certificate itself remains untranslated. |
| Incomplete translation | If seals, stamps and marginal notes are missing, the translation cannot be certified. | Seals, stamps and notes are described and translated; anything illegible is marked as such. |
How it works
You upload clearly legible scans of the documents and tell us the passport spelling of the names as well as the language direction. We review the set, match the names and name a binding fixed price. After your approval, a court-sworn, certified translator translates true to form and layout.
You receive the translations in advance as a PDF and then the certified originals by post. On request we align the language direction and apostille requirement in advance with the information sheet of your representative authority.
Quote & price
For family reunion several documents usually come together. We bill standard documents as a flat fee per document, and extensive documents per standard line – calculated as a set, with a volume advantage.
| Certified translation by a court-sworn, certified translator | ✓included |
| Certification statement, stamp & signature | ✓included |
| Advance PDF for checking | ✓included |
| Postal delivery of the certified originals | ✓included |
| Set discount for several documents | ✓possible |
Standard documents at a flat fixed price, extensive documents from € 0.89 / standard line; we name the exact amount after a brief review – How the price is made up →
FAQ
Evidence
Every legal statement on this page is tied to Austrian primary sources. The grant in the individual case is decided by the representative authority and the competent settlement authority.
The representative authority processed our application without asking for further papers – the marriage certificate with apostille and the translation matched exactly. That was precisely where it had failed on the first attempt.
A. Nawaz · Spouse reunion, Vienna
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